| Electrical Power Spring 2001 Rexhall Industries, Inc. Newsletter | ||||||
| Hi Everyone: Welcome to the new millennium. As you are all aware by now, we’re having a little trouble with power (or lack thereof) here in California. This, of course is a great segue into this months topic. That’s right, I’m going to talk about POWER. No, not that 12-volt D/C stuff running through your coach, but the big boy (or girl) stuff. Yeah, you got it …That venerable 110 A/C stuff. Seriously, we here at Rexhall have been doing a lot of work redesigning the electrical systems for all the models we build. I mean everything from the 110 A/C service to the 12-volt D/C systems. The reason is simple, to make it easier for you as owners to get the optimum power out of your coach. First though is the 110v service. There are a variety of converters now available on the market for RV’s. We use the Intellitec Systems that are currently available in 30 and 50 amps. With that difference, come limitations, which I will discuss, in the next few paragraphs. The most important thing to remember is don’t overload your circuits. Unlike most stationary homes, we have a limited number of circuits we can use for general purposes. For example, if you have a standard 30-amp converter. You have a main circuit and a maximum of six (6) breakers. The 1st and the 5th are both 20-amp breakers and are dedicated to the air conditioners. Breakers number 4 and 6 are also 20 amp circuits. They are dedicated to the microwave and the coffeepot. A quick note here – If you need to replace either of these items. Check their amperage. If this is not available, check their wattage, and divide that by 120. This will give you the amps required to run them. Breakers are designed to run best at 80% of their capacity, so never exceed 16 amps on any appliance (or 1,920 watts). Finally you have the two remaining general circuits. They are labeled receptacles and GFI (Ground Fault Interrupt) receptacles. The GFI circuit is pretty much designed to support your lavatory, galley, refrigerator and the exterior power receptacles. The other circuit handles your parlor and bedroom area. All US models are designed with 20 amp breakers (note – a 15-amp breaker carries a maximum load of 12 amps). Simply speaking, don’t exceed your allotted 16 amps when using them. I’ve been told by a couple of full timers that they feel the best thing to do is make a list of the power requirements each appliance requires and stick it up on the inside of the pantry door. That way you won’t be tempted to run the electrical griddle while your partner is drying their hair (some of those blow dryers really suck up power). To summarize, it’s pretty easy to maintain your system. Make sure you know where the breakers are at; make sure your partner knows too (in case you curl your own hair). Keep track of what you’re running, and don’t exceed 16 amps. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me here at Rexhall. My E-Mail address is rod@rexhall.com. Safe and Happy Driving to Everyone; Rod Jones Engineering | ||||||
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